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A ring-like accretion structure in M87 connecting its black hole and jet

Author

Listed:
  • Ru-Sen Lu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Keiichi Asada

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Thomas P. Krichbaum

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Jongho Park

    (Academia Sinica
    Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute)

  • Fumie Tazaki

    (Tokyo Electron Technology Solutions
    National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)

  • Hung-Yi Pu

    (Academia Sinica
    National Taiwan Normal University
    National Taiwan Normal University)

  • Masanori Nakamura

    (Academia Sinica
    Hachinohe College)

  • Andrei Lobanov

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Kazuhiro Hada

    (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
    The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI)

  • Kazunori Akiyama

    (Harvard University
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology Haystack Observatory
    National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)

  • Jae-Young Kim

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
    Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
    Kyungpook National University)

  • Ivan Marti-Vidal

    (Universitat de València
    Universitat de València)

  • José L. Gómez

    (Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía–CSIC)

  • Tomohisa Kawashima

    (The University of Tokyo)

  • Feng Yuan

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Eduardo Ros

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Walter Alef

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Silke Britzen

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Michael Bremer

    (Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)

  • Avery E. Broderick

    (University of Waterloo
    University of Waterloo
    Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics)

  • Akihiro Doi

    (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI)

  • Gabriele Giovannini

    (Università di Bologna
    INAF)

  • Marcello Giroletti

    (INAF)

  • Paul T. P. Ho

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Mareki Honma

    (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
    The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI
    The University of Tokyo)

  • David H. Hughes

    (Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica)

  • Makoto Inoue

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Wu Jiang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Motoki Kino

    (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
    Kogakuin University of Technology and Engineering)

  • Shoko Koyama

    (Academia Sinica
    Niigata University)

  • Michael Lindqvist

    (Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory)

  • Jun Liu

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Alan P. Marscher

    (Boston University)

  • Satoki Matsushita

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Hiroshi Nagai

    (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI
    National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)

  • Helge Rottmann

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Tuomas Savolainen

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
    Aalto University
    Aalto University)

  • Karl-Friedrich Schuster

    (Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)

  • Zhi-Qiang Shen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Pablo Vicente

    (Observatorio de Yebes, IGN)

  • R. Craig Walker

    (National Radio Astronomy Observatory)

  • Hai Yang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • J. Anton Zensus

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Juan Carlos Algaba

    (Universiti Malaya)

  • Alexander Allardi

    (University of Vermont)

  • Uwe Bach

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Ryan Berthold

    (East Asian Observatory)

  • Dan Bintley

    (East Asian Observatory)

  • Do-Young Byun

    (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
    University of Science and Technology)

  • Carolina Casadio

    (Foundation for Research and Technology
    University of Crete)

  • Shu-Hao Chang

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Chih-Cheng Chang

    (National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology)

  • Song-Chu Chang

    (National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology)

  • Chung-Chen Chen

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Ming-Tang Chen

    (Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)

  • Ryan Chilson

    (Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)

  • Tim C. Chuter

    (East Asian Observatory)

  • John Conway

    (Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory)

  • Geoffrey B. Crew

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology Haystack Observatory)

  • Jessica T. Dempsey

    (East Asian Observatory
    ASTRON)

  • Sven Dornbusch

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Aaron Faber

    (Western University)

  • Per Friberg

    (East Asian Observatory)

  • Javier González García

    (Observatorio de Yebes, IGN)

  • Miguel Gómez Garrido

    (Observatorio de Yebes, IGN)

  • Chih-Chiang Han

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Kuo-Chang Han

    (National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology)

  • Yutaka Hasegawa

    (Osaka Metropolitan University)

  • Ruben Herrero-Illana

    (European Southern Observatory)

  • Yau-De Huang

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Chih-Wei L. Huang

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Violette Impellizzeri

    (University of Leiden
    National Radio Astronomy Observatory)

  • Homin Jiang

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Hao Jinchi

    (National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology)

  • Taehyun Jung

    (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute)

  • Juha Kallunki

    (Aalto University)

  • Petri Kirves

    (Aalto University)

  • Kimihiro Kimura

    (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)

  • Jun Yi Koay

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Patrick M. Koch

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Carsten Kramer

    (Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)

  • Alex Kraus

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Derek Kubo

    (Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)

  • Cheng-Yu Kuo

    (National Sun Yat-Sen University)

  • Chao-Te Li

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Lupin Chun-Che Lin

    (National Cheng Kung University)

  • Ching-Tang Liu

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Kuan-Yu Liu

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Wen-Ping Lo

    (Academia Sinica
    National Taiwan University)

  • Li-Ming Lu

    (National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology)

  • Nicholas MacDonald

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Pierre Martin-Cocher

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Hugo Messias

    (European Southern Observatory
    Joint ALMA Observatory)

  • Zheng Meyer-Zhao

    (Academia Sinica
    ASTRON)

  • Anthony Minter

    (Green Bank Observatory)

  • Dhanya G. Nair

    (Universidad de Concepción)

  • Hiroaki Nishioka

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Timothy J. Norton

    (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian)

  • George Nystrom

    (Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)

  • Hideo Ogawa

    (Osaka Metropolitan University)

  • Peter Oshiro

    (Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)

  • Nimesh A. Patel

    (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian)

  • Ue-Li Pen

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Yurii Pidopryhora

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
    Universität Bonn)

  • Nicolas Pradel

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Philippe A. Raffin

    (Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)

  • Ramprasad Rao

    (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian)

  • Ignacio Ruiz

    (Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)

  • Salvador Sanchez

    (Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)

  • Paul Shaw

    (Academia Sinica)

  • William Snow

    (Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)

  • T. K. Sridharan

    (National Radio Astronomy Observatory
    Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian)

  • Ranjani Srinivasan

    (Academia Sinica
    Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian)

  • Belén Tercero

    (Observatorio de Yebes, IGN)

  • Pablo Torne

    (Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)

  • Efthalia Traianou

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
    Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía–CSIC)

  • Jan Wagner

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)

  • Craig Walther

    (East Asian Observatory)

  • Ta-Shun Wei

    (Academia Sinica)

  • Jun Yang

    (Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory)

  • Chen-Yu Yu

    (Academia Sinica)

Abstract

The nearby radio galaxy M87 is a prime target for studying black hole accretion and jet formation1,2. Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87 in 2017, at a wavelength of 1.3 mm, revealed a ring-like structure, which was interpreted as gravitationally lensed emission around a central black hole3. Here we report images of M87 obtained in 2018, at a wavelength of 3.5 mm, showing that the compact radio core is spatially resolved. High-resolution imaging shows a ring-like structure of $${8.4}_{-1.1}^{+0.5}$$ 8.4 − 1.1 + 0.5 Schwarzschild radii in diameter, approximately 50% larger than that seen at 1.3 mm. The outer edge at 3.5 mm is also larger than that at 1.3 mm. This larger and thicker ring indicates a substantial contribution from the accretion flow with absorption effects, in addition to the gravitationally lensed ring-like emission. The images show that the edge-brightened jet connects to the accretion flow of the black hole. Close to the black hole, the emission profile of the jet-launching region is wider than the expected profile of a black-hole-driven jet, suggesting the possible presence of a wind associated with the accretion flow.

Suggested Citation

  • Ru-Sen Lu & Keiichi Asada & Thomas P. Krichbaum & Jongho Park & Fumie Tazaki & Hung-Yi Pu & Masanori Nakamura & Andrei Lobanov & Kazuhiro Hada & Kazunori Akiyama & Jae-Young Kim & Ivan Marti-Vidal & J, 2023. "A ring-like accretion structure in M87 connecting its black hole and jet," Nature, Nature, vol. 616(7958), pages 686-690, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:616:y:2023:i:7958:d:10.1038_s41586-023-05843-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05843-w
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